Doctors, such as ophthalmologists, are currently trained with traditional "hands on" methods of observation and apprenticeship. A student of a new ophthalmic procedure is generally dependent on experienced ophthalmologists for an introduction to the basic principles of the new procedure, a demonstration in performing the procedure and supervision during the initial attempts at performing the procedure. These traditional methods of training require constant supervision by highly skilled ophthalmologists, thus, limiting the number of persons who may be competently trained to perform such new procedures in a specified amount of time.
Organizations which have sought to train medical personnel in developing countries have found these traditional methods of training especially frustrating because of the limited availability of skilled persons and necessary facilities to provide such training. For instance, Project ORBIS, based in New York, N.Y., which is dedicated to the reduction of world blindness through education, employs a specially equipped aircraft with highly skilled medical personnel who travel to developing countries around the world to train student doctors in advanced procedures for treating blindness. The students of the new procedures must be trained in all possible variations and consequences relating to the procedures. The students must then be provided with an opportunity to observe sample procedures and to perform the procedure under the supervision of experienced personnel. The number of persons which the organization may train effectively using these training techniques is limited to a few select student doctors. Consequently, the organization has not been able to adequately train a sufficient numbers of doctors to treat such conditions as cataracts, which currently affect an estimated thirty-five million people worldwide.
Although certain systems have been suggested in the prior art for training students in surgical procedures in general, no adequate system has been provided for training students in advanced ophthalmic surgical techniques. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,804,328 to Kent P. Barrabee discloses an interactive audio-visual teaching technique and U.S. Pat. No. 4,481,412 to Craig I. Fields teaches an interactive video disc training system with bar code access for use with a workbook. None of the systems described therein provide for a training device which may be used to train surgeons in advanced surgical techniques such that it could be effectively used in a remote location in conjunction with the training programs employed by organizations such as Project Orbis. Among other things, these prior art systems are not sufficiently self contained and non-cumbersome so as to effectively provide live or graphical display in combination with textual and/or audio presentations so as to be effectively used in training student doctors in advanced surgical procedures without constant direct supervision and instruction.